DACA RECIPIENT: STORY 3

The thought of me having so many opportunities is incredible. I could finally have that chance of becoming the person I wanted to be when I’m older. I finally won’t have to be worried or have that fear that followed me around for years. But what now? All my walls came crashing down in the snap of a finger. Those opportunities… Now gone. Those chances… gone. That fear that I once had, came back to haunt me. That’s how I felt. Why did I feel like this? Because the one thing that could’ve helped me is now gone, and that is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)–but that’s what I thought at first.

I’m Katherine, and this is my story and what I think about the DACA being taken.

I’m from El Salvador located in Central America. I was born in the Capital, San Salvador. I don’t remember much from there because I came to the United States at only four years old with my mom and dad. We came here to have a better chance at life, and I thank God for everything that he provided my family.

When we first got here we stayed in Maryland for a while with some family. Three months later we decided to move to Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis has become my home. I grew up in this city and have made amazing friends that I call family now. We started to go to church because someone invited us a few months after we got here. To this day we still attend the same church.

When I turned fifteen years old I realized I wasn’t like other kids in my school. And by that I mean American. All of my friends were from the United States, and sometimes they would make jokes about me not being a “citizen” or being “illegal”. I didn’t really care most of the time, but sometimes I did think about it a lot and it hurt.

My parents gave me some news that they were going to sign me up for DACA. I didn’t know what this was at first, but my parents told me it was a program that would allow me to stay in the U.S. without deportation and that I would also be able to work and pursue higher education. I was so thrilled to hear about this because this was the one opportunity that could help me.

However, it is 2017, and this has been the year that everything has come crashing down for me. Recently in August, I went on vacation with my family and we planned to sign me up for DACA when we came back. I get to finally be viewed as a human being made in God’s Image with tremendous potential through the DACA program.

But, I heard the devastating news that President Trump and his administration will rescind DACA in six months (March 2018). How could this be? Why would he take this from young students or anyone that was going to apply? Why me?

Right when I was going to apply it about to get rescinded. I looked up at God and blamed him for all of this. I told God why would he do this to me. Why was he going to take this opportunity that could save me? And that’s when I heard God speaking to me and say something that I will never forget as long as I live. He said, “Katherine, you depended on something that you thought could save you, and had faith in the DACA. But do you not remember the only one that can actually save you? why did you not put your faith ultimately in me?”

After hearing this, my mind was blank. I stood there in tears for thirty minutes straight. I kept thinking about what God told me and understood that He did this for a reason. He does all things for a reason, and he helped me undertsnad that. God does so many things that many of us might not understand, or we might not want to understand.

There are people still angry, posting things on Instagram and twitter about how mad they are about the DACA being taken, and I can empathize with this because I too am angry. However, what should trump our anger and sadness is asking God to help us even though DACA will soon be taken away because He is the only one who can save and help us.

I now have all my faith in the Lord and I trust that he will better my life by Him ordaining Congress to pass legislation like the Dream Act of 2017. I trust that He can make all things possible, even when things seem impossible. I thank him for giving me that peace to not worry anymore. So even though I never applied for the DACA, I’m not mad, sad or feel any negative emotion because I know he did it for a reason. He probably has something better for me and other Immigrants, soon.

“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”Jeremiah 29:11

Memphis immigration Project is a faith-based bipartisan organization that seeks to equip communities, advance policies, and research public opinions for the welfare of the city.